Virtual Volcano Lab
Log onto the Discovery Channel’s Virtual Volcano
Name_______________Hr___
site (http://kids.discovery.com/games/build-play/volcano-explorer)
Global Perspectives (see the Menu on the left side)
--Using the topic menu in the lower right corner, read about:
1) Tectonic Plates: Where are most of the active volcanoes found? __________________
2) The Ring of Fire: Where is the Ring of Fire located? ___________________________
3) The Layers Within: How do volcanoes form? _________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Volcano Types (yup…back to the Menu on the left side) For each of the three volcano types
answer the following questions…
1) Stratovolcano:
a. How are they made? ______________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
b. Look like--______________________________________________________
c. This volcano in Italy was responsible for destroying Pompeii in 79 AD--_________
d. A well-known stratovolcano in the U.S.—________________________________
2) Cinder Cone Volcano:
a. How are they made? ______________________________________________
b. Look like—______________________________________________________
c. 2 famous cinder cone volcanoes & where they are located:
i. _________________________________________________________
ii. _________________________________________________________
3) Shield Volcano:
a. How are they made?_______________________________________________
b. Look like—______________________________________________________
c. A famous shield volcano & where it’s located: ____________________________
4) Which type of volcano is the following? (Stratovolcano, Cinder Cone, or Shield volcano)
a. Most violent eruptions: ___________________
b. Island builders:
___________________
c. Smallest:
___________________
Inside a Volcano (Left side. Menu…) In the space below draw a side view of what a volcano looks
like on the inside and label its parts.
Build Your Own Volcano… (Of course, don’t forget to watch it erupt—way cool!)
--But first…
1) Select and learn about the Gas Content
a. List 2 factors that can affect the explosiveness of a volcanic eruption.
i. ________________________ ii. __________________________
b. Magma’s gas content usually depends on ____________________________
__________________________________________________________
2) Select and learn about Viscosity
a. What is it? __________________________________________________
b. Thick magmas tend to have _________ ___________ levels, and
runny lavas tend to have _________ ___________ levels.
3) After playing with the settings on your own a bit, build the volcanoes with the settings
below and record the results you create! (don’t forget to click “set conditions” before
erupting). #8 is a combination for you to figure out…make a new combination.
Gas
Type of
Viscosity
Content
Volcano type
Eruption
Other information
1.
Low
Low
2.
High
Low
3.
Low
High
4.
One level UP
from Low
Low
5.
Two levels UP
from Low
Low
6.
Two levels Up
from Low
High
7.
High
High
8.